27 Feb Best Buy Says “Buy the service plan – Or No Help For You”
Recently we had some products come back from customers that felt their devices were faulty. After checking the records of these devices we found that they were ordered by us from Bestbuy.com, Best Buy’s online site. We checked the dates of these products and found them to be within 1 year from purchase, so we contacted BestBuy.com for information on how to obtain a warranty for these devices. The representative only had one thing to say “Did you purchase the service plan”?. We didn’t. I had no idea that we were completely without help if the service plan wasn’t ordered with the product; but that’s not right. Best Buy is supposed to offer assistance on the warranty of the product with the manufacture, just as Negri Electronics does for their customers. However, Best Buy offers service plans and if you do not buy them, you are without help – this is THEIR rule, not the general rule.
Some would say that this is standard; I would argue that this is poor customer service. Sure Best Buy benefits from the service plans; but what they should value more is customer satisfaction. Take us out of the situation for the time being (we have our ways to get these devices repaired by Samsung). Let’s say this was you. You ordered online and there is a defect in your $699.99 product you purchased from this reputable location. You’re in shock that they provide absolutely NO assistance to you if you did not purchase their plan. How do you feel? Does this make you want to purchase the plan next time? Or simply order from someone else next time?
This post isn’t meant to boast our credibility; it’s meant to show you what it’s really like out there. If you don’t follow the “big box stores rules”, you are S.O.L. Some of you might just buy the service plan next time, but the rest of you are smart enough to understand that every device sold by Samsung (in this instance) does come with a 1 year Manufactures Warranty from Samsung. (You would simply need to contact Samsung in the country your device originated from in order to get assistance), and the place you purchased your device from should assist you in any way possible.
Should Best Buy deny you this information if you did not purchase their plan? What does this say about this company?
Keep your distance from the “Big Box Stores” that value sales volume and add-ons more than individual customers. Customers are your primary concern, without customers all you have is a warehouse full of products that no one needs.